Nationals’ Strasburg to Make Two More Starts Before Shutdown

By Erik Matuszewski -
Sep 3, 2012

Stephen Strasburg will make two more
starts for the Washington Nationals before being shut down for
the rest of the season.

Strasburg’s final start for the Nationals, whose 81-52
record is the best in Major League Baseball, will be Sept. 12
against the Mets in New York, manager Davey Johnson said. He’ll
also pitch Sept. 7 at home against the Miami Marlins.

The Nationals have planned to limit Strasburg’s innings in
his first season since undergoing ligament transplant surgery in
his pitching elbow two years ago. He’s thrown 156 1/3 innings so
far, with a 15-6 record, 2.94 earned run average and a National
League-leading 195 strikeouts.

If the Nationals make the playoffs -- they lead the Atlanta
Braves by 6 1/2 games in the NL East -- they’ll probably use
starting pitchers Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmerman, Edwin Jackson
and either Ross Detwiler or John Lannan. Strasburg may be
replaced by Lannan in the rotation for the rest of the regular
season following his Sept. 12 start.

Strasburg pitched six shutout innings yesterday in a 4-3
win over the St. Louis Cardinals, allowing two hits and issuing
one walk while striking out nine batters.